Crate.



P. L. WBIGAND. CRATE. APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 11, 1909.

Patented Apr. 12, 1910,

955,027. 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

6 @l l l @j @L .ya /Z /4 l 7 mi (4,

. f` l 1 i* I F. L. WEIGAND CRATE.

APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 11, 1909.

Patented Apr. 12, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ghuenhpz WA., Weigand.

www n anun ou. mmunmmm wmmawn. de

made of woven FRANCIS L. WEIGAND, OF BURLINGTON, KANSAS.

CRATE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed June 11, 1909.

Patented Apr. 12, 1910. Serial No. 501,492.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FnANcIs L. WEIGAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Burlington, in the county of Coffey and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Crates, of which the following' is a specification.

This invention relates to collapsible crates, and has for its object to form a new and useful crate which will be useful for shipping fruit, vegetables or merchandise, and which can be set up to hold the articles to be shipped and which can be knocked down to substantially fiat position for the purpose of returning said crates for refilling and reshipment.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which` Figure l is a perspective view of one form of the crate, set up; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the. saine collapsed or flattened; Fig. 3 is a,

perspective view of a modified form; Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4% of Fig. 1.

Referring specifically t0 the drawings, it will be seen that the crate in the embodimemL shown consists principally of an outer shell or casing which may be set up to cylindrical or other form, a bag held within said shell, and a set of rings or the like which serve to distend the shell and hold it in shape when set up.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the shell is shown as wire fabric, having longitudinal rods or wires 6 and cross wires 7 suit` ably fastened together, the width of the shell when flattened out being equal to the circumference when set up. This shell may be bent to cylindrical or other form when the crate is to nected by hooks 8 at the margins to hold the same together.

In the form shown in Fig. 3 the longitudinal parts are made of wooden slats or staves 9 connected together by cross wires so that it may be set up into form. Rigid metal rods may be substituted for the longitudinal staves, if desired, or any other construction provided capable of being unfastened at the meeting edges and flattened out into a sheet or flat form.

The inclosed bag is indicated at 10, and the fruit or vegetables to be transported will be placed therein. The bag shown is particularly adapted for carrying bananas` This bag is connected by fastening devices 11 to a series of rings 12 the diameter of crate is set up the rings be used, the sides being conwhich is substantially equal to the diameter of the shell when set up. At one side these rings are fastened to the shell by links 13 which allow the rings to swing free and to lie flatly upon the shell when the crate is collapsed, as shown in Fig. 2. A vertical series of these rings is used and as many may be used as desirable or necessary to support the crate in distended position.

Each of the longitudinal wires or rods, when a metal fabric is used, is provided with a notch let formed by bending the wire outwardly to a slight extent, and when the p 12 tit in these notches and are thereby held in open position. Instead of metal rings, Wooden hoops or the like may be used, and the rings or hoops may be made in square or other form, instead of the circular form shown, in order to give an angular crate. When wooden slats are used they are notched or chamfered on the inside, to receive the distending rings or frames, The top and bottom hoops may be provided with heads l5 of woven Wire fabric, or disks of wood, cardboard or the like, properly fitted in and attached to the hoops. A crate thus formed will loe very light in proportion to its capacity, especially when made of woven wire fabric, the necessary strength being supplied by the rings 12 to prevent collapse of the crate while in shipment. To knock down the crate, it is simply necessary to unfasten the hooks 16 by which the meeting edges of the sheet forming the shell are united. This allows the shell to be flattened out, and also permits the bag to collapse, the rings 13 dropping to flat position upon the shell. A number of the crates can then be piled flatwise one upon the other, and the hooks 16 can then be used to hook the adjacent crates together, forming a package which can be conveniently handled for shipment. Instead of the hooks 16 the shell can be held in set up position by means of a cord wrapped and tied around the same, which will be especially convenient when wooden staves are used.

Various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention, especially with respect to the particular means used to contain or hold the fruit or vegetablesto be shipped. A compartment crate can be made by stretching fabric of some kind across each hoop, thereby separating the crate into upper and lower cells or compartments.

I claim:

l. A collapsible crate comprising a :dexible Wall separable at one side and openable to lat position, a series of open frames each of Which is fieXibly attached at a single point to the inner side of the Wall, and of proper size to it across Within said Wall and distend the same When set up, and adapted to fold down Hatly upon said Wall when it is collapsed, some of said frames being located at the ends of said Wall and others intermediate said ends, and a collapsible container attached to and supported said frames and located Within the Wall when set up and foldable With said frames and upon said Wall When collapsed.

2. A collapsible crate comprising a Hexible outer Wall made of longitudinal and flexible cross members, and separable at one side and openable .to flat position in a single plane, a series of rings each of Which is flexibly attached at a single point to the Wall, so that they Will fold flatly upon the same, said rings being located respectively at and intermediate the ends of said Wall and arranged to fit across Within and to distend the same When set up and a bag attached to said rings and extendingthrough the intermediate rings and distended there by when the crate is set up, said longitudinal members being notched to receive said end and intermediate rings and hold the same in position, when set up` In testimony -Whereof, I aiiiX my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

FRANCIS L. VVEIGANI). 

